Cederberg Wilderness Area

The Cederberg is a range of weathered orange sandstone about 250 km north of Cape Town, running some 50 km from the Middelberg Pass at Citrusdal to beyond the Pakhuis Pass at Clanwilliam. The Cederberg Wilderness Area, proclaimed in 1973 and managed by CapeNature, covers 66,811 hectares of it and forms part of the Cape Floral Region World Heritage Site. The highest point is Sneeuberg at 2,026 m, with Tafelberg at 1,969 m. It is named for the rare Clanwilliam cedar, and the valleys around it grow rooibos tea.

Getting there

From Cape Town take the N7 past Citrusdal and turn right at the Cederberg/Algeria sign; Algeria, the main CapeNature station, is 17 km on from the N7 along a gravel road, about three hours all in. Kliphuis, the northern station, is about 17 km from Clanwilliam on the R364. The private farms of the Cederberg Conservancy (Sanddrif, Driehoek, Kromrivier, Jamaka) lie along the gravel road through the central valley. Clanwilliam has fuel, supermarkets and a pharmacy; fill up there or in Citrusdal.

When to go

Spring (August and September) is best for flowers and walking, with nights around 5 degrees and days near 21. Summer regularly passes 40 degrees in the valleys, so hikes start at dawn or wait for evening. Winter nights sit between 0 and 5 degrees, snow falls on the high peaks some years, and rain can close trails. Fires and floods have shut areas in recent years; check CapeNature’s alerts before you commit.

What to do

The famous day hikes are on the eastern side. The Wolfberg Cracks and Arch is a strenuous eight-hour return from Sanddrif, and the Maltese Cross is a gentler five hours from the Dwarsrivier side; permits for both are sold at the farms where the routes start. From Algeria the Waterfall Trail to the Middelberg waterfall and the Uitkyk trail each take about three hours. Lot’s Wife is a 90-minute walk, and the Truitjieskraal interpretive trail is a 1.5 km loop among boulders and paintings. Overnight routes need permits from the Algeria office or CapeNature reservations.

The mountains hold more than 2,500 San and Khoi rock art sites, from 300 to 6,000 years old. The Sevilla Rock Art Trail (5 km return, two and a half to three hours) passes nine of them, and the Stadsaal Caves have well-known elephant paintings. Rocklands near the Pakhuis Pass draws boulderers from around the world.

Good to know

• Wilderness hiking requires a minimum of three adults per group and a maximum of 12, and numbers per zone are capped daily. Buy permits before you walk.
• No fires of any kind in the mountains, including gas cookers. Water points are scarce and there is little or no phone signal. Carry a map, water and a first-aid kit.
• The Algeria campsite is closed for flood repairs; CapeNature’s cottages there reopen in July 2026. Kliphuis and the conservancy farms remain open.

Last updated 6 October 2026. Sources: Wikipedia, CapeNature, CapeNature (hiking), Roxanne Reid, Africa Addict, Cederberg Conservancy.